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I. F. BASSFORD. MOWING MACHINE CUTTER.

No. 476,030. Patented May 31, 1892..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC FRANKLIN BASSFORD, OF MILWAUKEE, XVISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ADOLPI-I DOOTER, OF SAME PLACE.

MOWING-MACHINE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,030, dated May 31, 1892. Application filed January 30, 1892. Serial No. 1 N 11105613 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC FRANKLIN BAss- FORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Mila waukee and State of Wisconsin, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machine Cutter-Bars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the inven io tion, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

I 5 My invention relates to mowing-machine cutter-bars, the object being to improve the manner of securing the blades to said bars, whereby they may be readily removed and replaced when desired; furthermore, to pro vide an improved construction of eye whereby the pitman of the machine is connected with the cutter-bar.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, hereinaf- 2 5 ter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cutter-bar constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the cutters at the outer end thereof being removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the cutters detached, looking from the under side. Fig.3 is a similar view of the securing-wedge. 'Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line a: 00, Fig. 1.

3 5 In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates the cutter-bar, provided in its center portion with a dovetailed channel 2, extending its entire length. portion of the cutter-bar is formed an up- 40 wardly-extending flange 3, designed as a hearing against which the cutter-blades press.

The numeral 4: denotes the cutter-blades, which may be of any suitable construction, and provided on their under sides with a dovetailed rib 5, which is designed to fit in the groove 2 in the cutter-bar.

Near the outer end of the cutter-bar is formed a wedge-shaped transverse groove 6,

On the back within which fits a correspondingly-shaped wedge '7, having a spring 8 fitting in a groove 9 upon its under side, being secured in place by means of a rivet 10. The free end of the spring is bent downwardly at a right angle, forming a lug 12, which is adapted to engage with a notch 13 in the edge of the cutterbar at the contracted end of groove 6. Near its opposite or inner end the cutter-bar is provided with a plate 14, and the end of said bar is bent over and welded to this plate, forming an eye 15, with which the pitman is connected.

The manner of securing the blades to the cutter-bar is as follows: The rib on the under side of one of said blades is inserted in the groove in the cutter-bar and shoved up against the plate 14. The other blades are then inserted in similar manner until the required number are in place. The outer edge of the last blade inserted will then be flush with the inner edge of the transverse 7o groove 6. The wedge 7 is then driven home, and the lug on thefree end of the spring secured thereto will engage with the notch 13, whereby the blades will be securely held in place.

I am aware that heretofore a cutter-bar has been provided similar to that above described, in which the blades were secured by screws to a bar fitting in the channel in said cutter-bar. This construction is objection- 8o able, however, owing to the liability of the bar carrying the blades to warp or bend, so that it will bind in the channel in the cutterbar. By the present invention, owing to the rib and blade being made integral such de feet will be obviated. There are also no screws or rivets for securing the blades in place, thus rendering it very easy to remove and replace the same when desired.

Having thus described my invention, what 0 I claim is The combination, with a cutter-bar having a vertical flange on its rear portion, a dovetailed channel extending its entire length, a dovetailed wedge-shaped transverse groove near its outer end, and a notch at the contracted end of said groove, of the cuttermy ownI have hereunto affixed my signature blades having dovetailed ribs on the under in presence of two witnesses. sides and the Wedge having a spring, the ISAAC FRANKLIN BASSFORD free end of which is formed into a doWn- 5 wardly-extending lug adapted to engage with Witnesses:

said notch, substantially as described. JOHN WV. I'IILLER, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as F. F. SCHALLOCK. 

